How to Remove Adhesive

There are several ways for removing adhesive, and most of them use products you will find in your home. In this HomeQuicks article, we have enlisted some easy solutions for your reference.

Most of us have encountered situations with glue or adhesive residue on surfaces, such as plastic, glass, or cloth that no amount of washing seems to be of any help. As someone who is both clumsy and fond of crafts, it is a predicament I frequently face. I almost never fail to come out of a craft project without a paint spill or some glue transferred to my clothes. Presuming you aren't a klutz like me, you will still have to deal with the annoying sticker/label residue on different surfaces that overtime collect dust and turn into unsightly brown blotches. The good news is that there a number of ways to tackle this problem, and several products are present around your home, which you can use to do this. Here are some of the most popular methods to remove adhesive from different surfaces.

Removing Adhesive from Different SurfacesPlastic: Removing adhesive residue that is old or removing it from plastic is easier than you think and employs the same method. Fill a small bucket with water and add in some detergent. Dip a cloth into it and place it over the surface of the glue. Leave it there for several hours to moisten the glue. If you find the cloth getting dry, then wrap the cloth and object with a plastic wrap.

After about 3 or 4 hours, remove the plastic wrap and wet (by now damp) cloth. Now, use a clean cloth to remove the adhesive that has softened. You must repeat this process until all the glue has come off. The good part about this method is that it will cause no damage to the plastic surface. However, if you want a method that is faster, try rubbing some alcohol. Moisten a cotton ball with some alcohol and dab it on the glue. The adhesive will soften, which will enable you to wipe it away with a clean cloth. Once you are done, dip a cloth in clean water and wipe the surface clean.

Glass: The above-mentioned method would also work for adhesive removal from glass. However, as glass will not get ruined by a number of different products, you can opt for an easier method. One popular method is to saturate the glue in baby oil, and leave it on for a while. In all probability, this will soften the glue, and when that happens, one may scrape it off with a blunt knife and then wash the surface with soap and water. Other options include dabbing on a bit of lighter fluid or WD-40 onto the adhesive, and wait for a few seconds or minutes and then wipe it off. Repeat the process until the surface is clean.

Cloth: There are a number of methods you can use to get rid of the adhesive from clothing. Solutions that work include holding an ice cube against the adhesive for about 20 seconds, and then using another cloth to remove the glue. A household product that works like magic is vinegar and almost always recommended for any 'glue-related issue'. Soak the sticky portion of the cloth with it, and after 15 minutes, rinse it out. Another popular home remedy is to place an absorbent paper (such as a paper towel) on either sides of the glue spot. Then, place a clean cloth over the paper and iron over it with a hot iron. Repeat till you get all the glue out of the cloth over the adhesive, which should melt and move onto the paper towel.

I have found that the best way of removing an adhesive from the skin is to wipe it off using a nail polish remover (which has acetone in it). However, if you have a cut and the glue is from a band aid, apply a wet cloth against the surface, and then wipe off some of the adhesive. If there are any remains, try massaging the spot with baby oil and wiping the remaining adhesive.